Who is Olivia Dean, and why is the Internet so in love with her right now?

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, or simply have good taste in music, chances are you’ve already had Olivia Dean’s Man I Need stuck in your head. Maybe it was the sultry horns. Maybe it was the line “I don’t want a boyfriend!” from Nice To Each Other being screamed in glorious unison at one of her sold-out shows. Or maybe, like many of us, you Googled her after hearing that she’s the first solo British female artist since Adele to simultaneously top both the UK Singles and Albums charts.

Whatever the entry point, whether it’s through a Burberry beauty advertisement, a live session on Jools Holland, or the viral verse of “I’m the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life” from So Easy (To Fall In Love) – one thing’s clear: Olivia is winning hearts everywhere. At a time when the pop scene is overrun by manufactured drama, endless (and unnecessary) album versions, and viral stunts, her rise feels like a breath of fresh air.

Where did she come from?

Born in 1999 in Haringey, London, Olivia Lauryn Dean grew up in a household steeped in sound – her Jamaican-Guyanese mum and English dad surrounded her with everything from gospel and reggae to Amy Winehouse and Mary J. Blige. Her middle name is Lauryn, inspired by the critically acclaimed American singer, Lauryn Hill, was an early sign of her musical compass. She joined a gospel choir early on, studied musical theatre, and eventually earned a coveted spot at the BRIT School, the same performing arts academy that shaped the likes of Adele, Amy Winehouse, and FKA Twigs.

Olivia’s rise wasn’t built on TikTok trends or viral gimmicks. It was forged through the slower, steadier route – songwriting, stamina, and stagecraft – shaped by long commutes, countless live gigs, and the kind of self-doubt that tests your conviction.

That emotional resilience is part of her story, too. “Self-love is definitely something I had to work through in my life,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “I didn’t always feel beautiful, and I had a lot of imposter syndrome about my writing and my singing at first.”

How did she rise up the charts?

Her 2023 debut album Messy introduced her as a diarist of modern romance – candid, clever, and confident. But it was her sophomore release The Art of Loving (2025) that sent her soaring. Released in September, the album achieved the rare feat of a UK chart double: number one album and single Man I Need in the same week. “Dean’s star power is radiant and fueled by more than just charisma,” Rolling Stone noted, praising her precision and performance style.

And yes, TikTok played a role too. Tracks like Nice To Each Other and So Easy (To Fall in Love) exploded on the platform, soundtracking everything from romantic edits to self-love montages, with over 387,000 TikTok videos using the latter’s sound alone.

She opened for Sabrina Carpenter on the final leg of the Short n’ Sweet tour, and soon after, announced her own headlining North American arena tour for 2026. In September 2025, she was unveiled as the face of Burberry’s Her fragrance campaign. She’s also set to headline Madison Square Garden and Crypto.com Arena in 2026 – just two years after playing small venues in East London. As she wrote on Instagram, “These are venues I have only dreamt of playing… See you next year, lovers!!!”

In the past year alone, she’s been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist, shortlisted for the Mercury Prize for Messy, and recognised at the 2024 Brit Awards with nominations for Best Pop Act and British Artist of the Year. Her performance résumé is expanding just as fast. She has graced Later… with Jools Holland, made her Saturday Night Live debut in November 2025, and even played a Southeast Asian stop in Bangkok earlier this year.

Why are we so obsessed with her?

Simply put – because she has a way of making you feel good. Olivia’s voice is warm and crystalline, her lyrics are intimate and vulnerable, and her vibe... deeply human. She brings about a British sensibility to the table much like Adele and Amy Winehouse does, crooning about the flirty things and also the messy stuff like breakups, self-doubt, and longing – but never in a way that feels heavy. Her songs radiate optimism, playfulness, and an emotional clarity that’s rare.

“Joy is not a destination. It’s the decisions you make every day,” she told Harper’s Bazaar, summing up the rom-com-like lens through which she sees the world. Her fans often say her music makes them feel like the main character – and that’s not an accident. In her words: “I love that people think the music feels like being in a rom-com… What I can derive from that is a feeling of romanticising your own life, which I think is such a beautiful way to live.”

She’s also gloriously unbothered by industry boxes. As she shared with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar “I’m somebody that is such a sponge… I listen to Brazilian music, Ethiopian music, Fleetwood Mac… I don’t really give a shit if people don’t think it’s Black enough or call me white or whatever. I live in a bubble of peace and serenity, and I make music that I love.”

And while some pop stars today are known more for their feuds than their music (Taylor Swift... Who said that?), Olivia has stayed scandal-free – a welcome reminder that grace and substance still count.

What’s next for her?

So, what’s in store for Olivia? A Grammy nomination for Best New Artist is already under her belt. An arena world tour is in the works. Her fashion ascent is just as striking –  she’s been spotted at Burberry’s SS26 show, and she’s worn British powerhouses like Alexander McQueen and Erdem with a sparkle-loving flair that’s quickly making her a front-row regular. And if her interviews are anything to go by, she’s also dreaming of a solo trip to Carnival in Brazil, where she shared with Vogue that she hopes to “leave it all in the street at [her] feet.”

“I think I’ve got some living to do now,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “Every good album comes as a result of some living.”

Wherever she goes next, we’re rooting for her… and probably playing A Couple Minutes on repeat as we do.